We chat to Dennis Hsueh from Grey Street Kitchen in Hamilton. He’s been named the NZ Meadow Fresh Latte Art Champion for 2022, and we were keen to find out a bit more about what makes him tick.
Grey Street Kitchen is a large fresh space which has strong reputation as a community favourite. It serves as a hub for locals, freelancers or groups just coming together for great coffee, great food and yarn.
They serve a delicious selection of cabinet food, or have an exciting all-day menu for those who want to linger a bit longer, all of which pairs perfectly with their signature coffee blend.
I’ve been with GSK for 5 years. It was Dove who lured me back to Hamilton and I’m extremely lucky to be learning from one of the best!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Dennis Hseuh, and I’m a head barista at Grey Street Kitchen in Hamilton.
My coffee journey started 10 years ago, I went to a café and got a job as a cleaner and dishy for 6 months, and then one day they were short staffed on baristas. After an hour of training I was on the machine, and the rest if history!
From that day I have made sure I use every opportunity to brew coffee and use the espresso machine. I love it so much. Slowly the skill builds over time. Firstly, I concentrated on making good coffee, hot coffee and being able to serve it to customers on time. Then I started feeling like I could do more, and that’s when I started trying to incorporate latte art, and deliver it on time at peak times!
I moved to Auckland from Hamilton and started working at The Coffee Lab and met Anna McGregor. This is where I picked up most of my coffee knowledge and my confidence and experience really developed. The vibe in Auckland is amazing, everyone is so passionate about coffee and the customers give great feedback. I found it very inspiring and I was constantly wanting to try new things and improve.
I met Dove (already a Barista Champ) while I was competing in Latte Art Throwdowns, and other NZSCA events. I moved back to Hamilton after 5 years in Auckland and went to work with Dove at Grey Street Kitchen, he totally hooked me up.
Every café has slightly different approach. GSK and Dove have a very systematic approach, whereas Coffee Lab was all about technical coffee knowledge, how it’s brewed, where the beans are from etc.
What is your most popular dish?
Would hands down have to be the beef bolognaise or the burger.
What is your favourite dish from the menu?
My absolute go to is the Coconut Creamy Mushrooms.
How do you drink your coffee?
I like to drink a single shot flat white made with Meadow Fresh milk as it really brings out the sweetness of the coffee. Sometimes though I’ll have an oat milk flat white if I’ve had too much regular milk.
What makes the coffee at GSK so special?
Beans are 80% of the flavour of your coffee, and then the milk texture and temperature make up the other elements of a good coffee.
Dove is now roasting his own beans, and he does an amazing job controlling the quality of the beans. There is so much attention to detail which really makes the coffee at GSK stand out. It’s always consistent and much of that is down to the systematic approach GSK takes.
Does Meadow Fresh milk enhance your coffee?
Yes, yes it does! The texture and fat content in the milk is very balanced so when I steam it I get a silky texture that blends so will with our coffee.
Share your favourite moment where you learnt about the art of coffee.
10 years ago, with a passion seeing people pouring latte art on YouTube, I decided I wanted to be as good as them. I needed a good teacher so I made the move from Hamilton to Auckland where I started at Coffee Lab, met Anna and started to develop my latte art skills.
I start prepping 6 months before a competition. I like to start drawing my images which takes about 2 months, then I spend 2 months practicing pouring the milk. The last two months I just practice, over and over and over again. All the detail, but only 2 or 3 bottles per day, otherwise you risk injury to your wrists and shoulders!
Can you share any advice for others starting out in the hospitality industry?
To keep your passion and keep improving. To try and improve every time, thinking today I want to make better coffee than yesterday.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice. I was very shy when I started, and afraid to ask advice from people who had knowledge or had been in the industry a long time. I wish I’d done that from the start.
When you're not spinning coffee or practicing latte art, what do you enjoy doing?
I love playing tennis, basketball and kayaking. My favourite kayaking spots are Tauranga or Whangamata. I’d also love to learn to surf this summer.
Oh, and looking after my cat. I love my cat so much!
Is there anything else you would like us to know?
I am very lucky to have Dove as my trainer and mentor. He teaches you how to organise your space, present and be professional on stage, and explore your personality when you’re competing. He is so generous with his time, and wants to share his tips and tricks to see the younger generation succeed and move through the industry.